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Collecting News, Toyguide Updates

Toyguide Update: 104th Battalion “Wolf Pack” Ultimate Gift Set

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The Yakface Toyguide updates resume today with the addition of the online exclusive 104th Battalion “Wolf Pack” Clone Troopers Ultimate Gift Set from The Clone Wars.

PROS: For fans of the series, this is a nice expansion pack in order to get some of the additional troopers for the “Wolf Pack” squad. The deco for Clone Commander Wolffe (and his troopers) is much closer to the actual color as portrayed in the series.

CONS: Since this set is now an online exclusive (previously set to be a Walmart item), collectors may have to pay a little bit extra than if they were to pick this up at retail. Plo Koon only includes his double bladed lightsaber gauntlet whereas it would have been nice to get his standard issue Jedi weapon.

Head to the toyguide for the full image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this latest set is worth adding to your collection.

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Collecting News, Toyguide Updates

Toyguide Update: Clone Trooper Lieutenant (Lost Line)

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The Yakface Toyguide updates resume today with the addition of the Clone Trooper Lieutenant (EP2-02) released as part of the Kenner Lost Line variant packaging for The Vintage Collection.

PROS: It’s surprising that it took Hasbro this long to start repainting the ultra-articulated VC45 Clone Trooper into some of peripheral clone officers from Attack of the Clones. There is not a whole heck of a lot new here but the execution here is good with an accurate color selection for the armor flashes and a fairly decent application of them. Again like the VC45 version, articulation is abundant making with widest range of posing options possible. Accessories are basic with the standard trooper kit of a blaster, rifle and removable helmet.

CONS: A solid figure all around but maybe the only issue with it is that the paint treatment looks odd around the ankles as I don’t recall the black body suit being visible on the Phase I clones. Again with most figures, finding one at retail may be a bit of a chore, but they are turning up in decent numbers at Walmart and Toys”R”Us on both card back variants.

Head to the toyguide for the full image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this figure is worth adding to your collection.

You can also weigh in with your impressions on the figures we add to our toyguide on facebook and in our forums.

Collecting News, Toyguide Updates

Toyguide Update: Jar Jar Binks (Lost Line)

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The Yakface Toyguide updates resume today with the addition of Jar Jar Binks (EP1-01) released as part of the Kenner Lost Line variant packaging for The Vintage Collection.

PROS: For fans of Jar Jar, this latest version attempts to improve upon the less articulated Movie Heroes version and does to some degree. The semi-new figure incorporates additional points of articulation in the neck, shoulders and wrists as well as well-disguised ankle joints. Hasbro also has taken this figure a step further by revising the deco to a lighter, less suntanned shade and adding soft goods for the “skirt” allowing him to sit upon a kaadu fairly well. This is a solid figure if you’ve yet to find the MH version but you may want to hold out for that one for the reasons below.

CONS: In this case being super-articulated doesn’t mean better when compared to the Movie Heroes (MH13) version. The joints are poorly matched as evidenced by they contrasting colors especially in the shoulders and knees. Also, the superfluous lower neck joint doesn’t do much to improve upon the figure and is more of an aesthetic distraction than anything else. Then there is the skin color/deco. Where the MH figure seems to hit the right colors, this new version seems too light and the ornate deco on the arms is far too dark and is flat out wrong. Overall this figure seems like a waste of tooling resources, but your mileage may vary of course.

Head to the toyguide for the full image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this figure is worth adding to your collection.

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Collecting News, Toyguide Updates

Toyguide Update: CW18 Clone Commander Fox

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The Yakface Toyguide updates resume today with the next addition for the 2012 “Darth Maul” product line. We continue with Clone Commander Fox (CW18) from The Clone Wars sub-line.

PROS: As the Clone Wars line comes grinding to a halt, Hasbro manages to release another nicely painted (save for the helmet error) figure in the release of Fox. The deco overall is as crisp as it is bold with the blood red accents.

CONS: You know the story, the Clone Wars line has taken a back seat for Hasbro and with it, a step backward in articulation. Couple that with the $1 price hike and you have people just not caring about what amounts to as essentially another repainted clone. As of these first shipments, the helmet for Fox has an error that omits a key paint operation shown on the character model and the figure on the cardback. There is no word that it will be corrected.

Head to the toyguide for the full image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this figure is worth adding to your collection.

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Collecting News, Toyguide Updates

Toyguide Update: VC99 Nikto (Skiff Guard)

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The Yakface Toyguide updates resume today with the addition of the Nikto Skiff Guard (VC99) from The Vintage Collection.

PROS: Hasbro crosses one of the last remaining figures from the original Kenner line to be re-sculpted off the list. As excited people were for Tarkin to make it to the Vintage line (myself included), Nikto simply delivers on all counts: the colors, the sculpt, the accessories and the cardback convey that sense of nostalgia we all feel for this line.

CONS: Other than being able to find this figure at retail, he’s pretty much flawless.

Head to the toyguide for the full image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this figure is worth adding to your collection.

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Collecting News, Toyguide Updates

Toyguide Update: VC98 Grand Moff Tarkin

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The Yakface Toyguide updates resume today with the addition of Grand Moff Tarkin (VC98) from The Vintage Collection.

PROS: Charming to the last. After nearly a half dozen iterations, Tarkin finally gets the super-articulated treatment and to top it off, he graces the Vintage Collection card back crossing one of those “must-haves” off the list. From an articulation and sculpt standpoint,  Tarkin hits all the right marks (thanks to recycling parts from past Imperial officers) but falters is some key areas that ultimately elicit a sign from collectors. Tarkin includes blaster and all new MSE Droid which is now in the proper scale and features rolling wheels/axles.

CONS: So close yet so far. Immediately upon reveal, collectors wondered what the heck was going on with his uniform color and those soft goods. We hoped and pleaded that it was because we were just seeing hand-painted prototypes, but sadly, what we saw is what we got. The soft goods skirt is the main culprit as the cut and color looks plain out of place on this figure. The outfit overall looks to be far too green and should be more drab. While the face sculpt looks good, the overall skin tone is very pale and make him look even more gaunt than intended.

Head to the toyguide for the full image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this figure is worth adding to your collection.

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Collecting News, Toyguide Updates

Toyguide Update: VC97 Odd Ball (Clone Pilot)

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The Yakface Toyguide updates resume today with the addition of Clone Pilot Odd Ball (VC97) from The Vintage Collection.

PROS: We’ve seen many iterations of the Episode III ARC-170 pilot since 2005,and with this latest version, I think the word definitive is applicable. Gone are those funky looking “moon boots” as he now sports full ankle articulation. Not surprisingly, Hasbro has recycled many of the previous pilot parts but has tooled up new lower legs and helmet which, thankfully, is well-proportioned.

CONS: Oddly, he features Imperial emblems on its shoulders where I would think they should be Republic symbols. With distribution the way it is it might be some time before folks see this figures in the wild let alone its other Wave 5 case mates.

Head to the toyguide for the full image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this figure is worth adding to your collection.

You can also weigh in with your impressions on the figures we add to our toyguide on facebook and in our forums.

Collecting News, Toyguide Updates

Toyguide Update: CW10 Aqua Droid

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The Yakface Toyguide updates resume today with the next addition for the 2012 “Darth Maul” product line. We continue with the Aqua Droid (CW10) from The Clone Wars sub-line.

PROS: The Aqua Droid, though repacked from 2011, is an excellent figure in design, detail and deco. The figure is loaded with articulation resulting in a variety of posing options* and features a cool retractable head. Having a half dozen (or more) of these figures is necessary for an Separatist army builder or general droid fan.

CONS: The knee and ankle/foot joints can get a bit loose with repetitive play, resulting in the figure collapsing under its own weight. *Since this figure is aquatic based, Hasbro should develop a proprietary figure stand in order to display it in a swimming pose.

Head to the toyguide for the full image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this figure is worth adding to your collection.

You can also weigh in with your impressions on the figures we add to our toyguide on facebook and in our forums.